Tomato Juice and Passion
by Mafiosafox
Summary: Inigo finds out the bar he started working at hosts a Vampire LARP night. Owain tries to seduce him with plastic fangs on. It kind of works. Eventual smut, modern AU.
1. Chapter 1

It had been almost a month since Inigo had started at "The Awakening", a stylish bar in the downtown area. He had been through two years of Bartending School, a requirement from his mother, and now he finally had a cool job he could brag about to girls. He'd been getting used to all the regular opening and closing duties, and had now learned the names of all his co-workers. His ears had even adjusted to the pounding EDM music that he worked through until the early hours. It was now feeling em regular . It felt _good_.

"Inigo?" a voice called as he opened the employee entrance door, "Aren't you early?" Inigo smiled at the grumpy looking redhead.

"It's scheduling day, Severa," he grinned back at her, "I need to know when to schedule all my dates," he continued, no note of sarcasm in his voice. The girl with pigtails rolled her eyes at that comment. He and she both knew that that wasn't the case, but she shrugged and continued on into the kitchen, dumping an armful of dirty glasses for the unfortunate dishwasher tonight. Inigo knew not to take her silence personally – she was just a bit of a grump, but a drunken bonding session after work the other week had brought them a bit closer together.

Exhaling and pulling off his jacket, Inigo glanced at the schedule for the week. On it were everyone's hours written neatly in different coloured markers (his boss was nothing if not thorough), and under tomorrow's shift were the letters VLARP; big, red, and intimidating.

"Hey Sev, what does VLARP mean?" he called to her, and he saw her head emerge from the kitchen.

"Oh, you haven't had one of those yet, have you?" she smirked, and then waved her hand, "Don't worry about it, it's just like any other night. Just stock lots of Clamato and you'll be fine." Clamato? Inigo tried to imagine who would order that many Bloody Marys, but nothing really came to mind, and he decided it could wait until tomorrow. He quickly punched in, and began taking inventory for the evening. A Wednesday, so probably slow. He brushed a lock of silvery blue hair behind his ear and began to get to work.

The bar closed at 1 AM, early for bar hours. Inigo finished putting away the last of the drink garnishes as they turned off the music. His ears were ringing, he noticed, and he waved down Severa who was just about to step out the door.

"Hey, if you don't polish the glasses Kjelle will get mad at you again," he teased, but in all seriousness she probably would get mad. Severa never missed an opportunity to slack, a trait that both earned his annoyance and admiration.

"Yeah, yeah, fine," she grumbled, putting down her purse and grabbing a cloth from the bar. Inigo observed her, weighing his options, then decided to gamble.

"Severa, can you tell me more about the VLARP thing?" Immediately feeling himself blushing, he glanced away and tried to laugh a bit, "I have no idea what it even means."

The redhead eyed him over the glass she was holding up to the light, then lowered it and looked him dead in the eyes, "It's a bunch of weirdos, if you ask me. Rent out the entire bar for the night."

"That's….it?" he blinked, a bit of disappointment in his voice. He'd been expecting to be something big, some video being filmed in the bar, or a secret society meeting. It was in red marker after all; nothing was in red marker unless it was important.

"That's it," she put down the glass and dropped her cloth in it, "Now if you'll excuse me I have someone waiting for me." Inigo waggled his eyebrows at her, and she brushed him off with a wave of her hand, and grabbed her purse. "It's my bed."

Inigo grinned at her and made an obscene gesture, earning him the finger from Severa, and closed up the bar for the night. VLARP day sounded a lot less intimidating now, and he decided he didn't need to come in early after all.

He should have come in early. He would have definitely needed at least half an hour to process what was going on. Around him stood cloaked men and women, some with false vampire teeth, talking in strangely eloquent language, sipping Bloody Caesars and laughing. Apparently the V stood for Vampire. Live Action Role Playing, is what Kjelle had told him at the beginning of his shift. Apparently they rented out the entire bar once a month and mingled. Inigo wasn't even sure how to react.

"Greetings, human," a voice shook Inigo from his thoughts, and he turned to the man, flashing his bartender's smile.

"What can I get for you?" He looked the man up a down. He wore a black velvet cape, had blonde hair that hung in front of his red….red? eyes, and two long fangs hanging out of his mouth. Oh jeez.

"A bloody Caesar, _extra_ bloody," the man smirked, lowering his lashes seductively. Inigo swallowed quickly, then began to mix him his drink, finishing off his fourth (fourth!) bottle of Clamato of the night.

"Can I see your ID?" Inigo asked, rimming the glass with celery salt.

"My…ID. Right," the man stammered, shoving a hand into his pocket nervously. Inigo raised an eyebrow. Eighteen year olds were allowed _in_ the bar, and quite a few people had tried to casually order a drink while underage, and Inigo was used to it. He waited patiently as the man fumbled through his pockets, then mumbled something.

"What was that?" Inigo implored, smiling a bit. It was always satisfying to catch kids in the act.

"I seem to have forgotten it. A… _virgin_ Caesar then," The man, em boy glanced away awkwardly, but then inhaled and seemed to regain his composure. "Are you new? I tend to know the humans who work here around this time."

Inigo blinked at his natural slip back into confidence, "I'm new at the bar. Can I assume you're a…." he paused, "A vampire, then?" He didn't even know why he was going along with this. Was he supposed to? Was this in the job description? The entire night was feeling more and more surreal.

"I mustn't reveal my secrets, human, no matter how cute you are," the man smirked and Inigo felt himself blushing. This kid isn't even old enough to drink, what kind of confidence did this kid have?

"Do you like it, human? Being…." The man licked his lips, "….mortal?" Inigo didn't even know how he was supposed to answer this.

"Uh, I guess?" he tucked some hair behind his ear, sliding the finished drink over to the boy.

"Perhaps I could take you on as a concubine, it's not like you'd have much of a say in the matter," the blonde man continued, smirking enough to reveal the fake vampire teeth. It was kind of endearing, he thought to himself.

"I'm not sure….how I'd feel about that, I kind of like my job."

"Unfortunate," the man let out a theatrical sigh, "I would have loved to spend long nights with you, in blood and passion."

Inigo swallowed and stammered out, "Wh-what? Hold on, I...I need to check something in the back, pardon me." What the heck? Was this kid speaking vampire nonsense really getting to him? VLARP night was even more intimidating. Damn Severa for not truly warning him, and damn the blond vampire boy for hitting on him so much. He was probably only like eighteen. Nothing compared to Inigo, who was almost 24. He found himself in the bathroom, leaning against the sink. He splashed some water onto his face and shook his head violently. Gotta focus on the job. It's one thing when cute girls hit on him, but he wasn't exactly used to such blatant seduction by men. He heard the toilet flush and immediately absconded from the bathroom, even more embarrassed at anyone else seeing him flustered.

When he returned to the bar, the blonde man had disappeared, probably off mingling with some other "creature of the night". Inigo wasn't even sure what the point of this kind of meet up was. Who wanted to spend their Thursday nights pretending to be some ancient vampire? Was there a point? Did they really come every month? He busied his hands polishing glasses, occasionally sneaking glances to the strange patrons of the evening. There was a woman whispering in a man's ear, and by the expression on his face, he'd be lucky that night. There were several men talking and laughing in a group, giving each other a "cheers", a few women talking quietly, shooting suspicious glances around, and what appeared to be a game of poker going on at the main table. It was…strange, but Inigo found himself strangely entranced by their world.

After having to go to the back to get another crate of Clamato, the blonde "vampire" was back at the bar, talking quietly to another man. He was honestly pretty scary looking, a long scar down one eye, frazzled blonde hair, and a practically menacing expression. Inigo nervously stocked the mini fridge, listening in to their conversation.

"They've ratted us out, Sanguin," the young boy said in what was probably supposed to be a hushed tone, but sounded more like a shout over the loud music, "I think we need to flee for our lives soon."

"Can't you just call me Brady when we're the only ones talking?" the other blonde man sighed, resting his head on a hand and stirring his drink with the other, "And why did we decide to be brothers? Can't we stick with cousins?"

"Come on San-...Brady, we gotta stay in character, that's the point," the other boy scowled at him, "And it's a ROLE playing game, you don't just come as whoever you normally are." He then put an arm around the other man, pulling him in /

"Look, the fighting's going to happen soon, and we can't stay out late enough to go so we need an excuse to leave before then, so stay. in. character."

"Uh, whatever, _Odin_ ," the gruff man replied, then cleared his throat, "Y-yeah, brother, they're gonna fuck us up if we stay any longer," he continued, with the acting skills of a lemon, "We should get outta here before they burn us or something."

"You don't burn vampires, you burn witches, idiot!" Odin narrowed his eyes, but continued in character, "It is time to make our leave then. You go first, then I will join you to deflect suspicion."

"So you want me to get the car warmed up?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll be there in a few."

The other man stood up and pulled some car keys out of his pocket, side stepping past a group of hooded women. Inigo noted the time - almost midnight. How young was this kid? Inigo grabbed the empty glass left behind and smiled at "Odin".

"Anything I can get you before you make your daring escape?"

The boy turned to him, looking up at him through half lidded eyes, "No, but thank you for your kindness. If anyone asks, I was never here." Inigo resisted the urge to snort at his attempt to be "gentlemanly", then nodded and brought a few glasses back to the dish pit.

Upon returning, he found a generous tip and a note.

"My offer still stands.

(519) XXX-XXXX

-Owain"


	2. Chapter 2

2:36 AM

Severa, help me D:

wat its like 3 am

I got hit on

good 4 u

No you don't understand it was a guy dressed like a vampire

isnt that like what u go for?

Ha ha. :T

gr8 job. nite

SEVERA PLEASE this is serious he was cute

(Message read at 2:40 AM)

What were friends even for? Inigo pocketed his phone, tugging his jacket tighter around himself against the wind. After Owain had left, the vampire people mingled until they were kicked out. The kitchen was practically cleaned up and so Inigo was one of the last people left, besides the dishwasher. He was politely pushing people towards the door, kindly asking them to leave for at least half an hour before they actually _did_. And as soon as they had, he was out the door after them. He didn't even bother zipping up his jacket, making a dash out towards his apartment. It was definitely a weird night.

Inigo pulled the crumpled note out of his pocket, examining it again. The handwriting was messy, probably because it was dark, and obviously written hastily. Maybe he was nervous? He smiled to himself at that; of course he knew he was a heartbreaker. Wait, no, that wasn't the point! Yeah he'd be flirted with by other guys, but the...the outright forwardness threw him off. It was bothering him that he was so _bothered_ by this whole thing. Some loser kid comes in and suddenly, Inigo's in high school again, getting flustered about an upcoming dance.

He unlocked the front door and jammed the elevator button, wanting to crash into bed as soon as possible. He flipped on his phone quickly while the elevator rose, but Severa was apparently asleep. Damnit. He flicked the light on in his apartment and threw his jacket down over the back of the couch, then turned into his checked his phone once more, but the only thing looking back at him was the pinup girl on his lock screen. Inigo sighed and tossed it onto the bed, stripping for bed.

So he was just going to have to deal with this himself. The obvious answer was to ignore the note, take it as a compliment and go about his life. Except the boy would probably be back in a month. Oh that would be awkward, so definitely out of the question. Tugging on a pair of pajama pants, he ran over his options in his head:

Text him immediately and tell him how flustered you was definitely out. Let him know via text that you're flattered by his attention but aren't interested. Well that would be….a bit of a lie, but it would probably solve the problem. Then he'd just ask for every VLARP off for the rest of his life. Wait a day and casually ask him how he thought the event was. Well that might work, if not make him seem too eager.

None of these were great options. He pawed with his phone, flopping down onto the bed and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. Either way, texting him at this time of night was out of the question. Maybe he'd call his mom for advice. Plugging in his phone, Inigo rolled over and exhaled heavily, letting himself drift off to sleep.

He didn't text him. It was probably the worst option but Inigo _was_ a self-described coward. Ok, more like everyone else called him one so he just accepted it. It had been almost two weeks since the VLARP and he was still pretending it didn't happen. Owain didn't appear to be a regular at the bar on any other nights, but that was probably because the kid was just that; a kid. Still, it didn't stop Inigo from sneaking nervous glances across the crowds during peak hours, wiping a counter that had already been wiped down a hundred times that evening. It was starting to become pathetic.

"Starting to?" Severa said, rolling her eyes, as she sat across from Inigo at the nearby Starbucks before work, "More like you're actually the lamest person I've ever met."

"You say that every time we hang out," Inigo whined, pulling the straw out of his venti frappuccino, sucking the whipped cream off the bottom sulkily.

"That's because it's true. Now either text this boy or stop flipping your shit over him. Aren't you like twice his age anyway?"

"Rude," Inigo snapped back, "I'm twenty-four. And he's like, youngest, eighteen. And that's not the point!"

"What is the point then?" Severa snipped, "I can't believe you're this nervous about some overconfident kid in vampire fangs. Are you even listening to yourself?" She continued, before taking a sip of her own coffee.

"The point is….well yeah, I can't believe I'm nervous too. I'm a _ladies_ man, Severa," he continued, ignoring the snort she gave him, "I'm not supposed to get all butterfly sweaty palms doki about a _boy_."

"What, you're having some kind of sexuality crisis here? People are gay, Inigo. Gay, bi, whatever. It's not that big of a deal."

Inigo slurped at his drink, trying to get the last bit of cream at the bottom, before putting it down in frustration, "I'm not gay!" he insisted, a little too loudly. The barista glanced at him, and Inigo mouthed an apology.

"Ok, so bi, preference to girls. Who cares. I'm gay, my mom is too, it's not that weird." Her sentence earned her an overdramatic raised eyebrow from Inigo.

"Wait how did I not know you were into girls too? You never agree with me when I talk about them?" Inigo looked a bit shocked, but intrigued.

"Because I don't have your slutty tastes, idiot. I have more…." she paused, "...Intellectual interests." Inigo grinned at her, then leaned closer across the table, egging her on, "Ok there's this girl at my university ok? She's….cute." She blushed a bit, waving her hand to get Inigo out of her personal space. He obliged, but didn't stop his smug grin.

"Hey," she continued, "This isn't about me, ok? This is about you and your vampire lover."

"Could you maybe say that louder?" Inigo muttered, running a hand through his bangs, embarrassed.

"Sure. This is about you and your **vampire boyfr-** " she was cut off by Inigo shoving his hand over her mouth, and she bit him.

"Oh my god I HATE you," he smiled, foiling his words, and Severa gave him a smirk back. Despite questioning, Severa remained tight lipped about this 'mysterious university girl', despite Inigo buying her another coffee (damn her). They left for work not long after, and he couldn't catch her again before she slipped home before him.

He didn't even really think about Owain until a day before the next VLARP, which apparently he had been scheduled for. Inigo groaned and looked at Severa, who looked away and began whistling. Uh oh.

"Kjelle, can I talk to you for a minute?" Inigo tapped his boss on the shoulder. The woman turned around, all six feet of her overshadowing him, causing a drop in his confidence. Kjelle had started out as a bouncer, and the damn fitness freak still intimidated everyone who worked there.

"What is is, Inigo? I'm in the middle of something…" she held up a clipboard as if to prove her point, narrowing her eyes.

"Uh, well….." What was he asking for again? Man Kjelle was scary when she was moody, "I was wondering….well….so, something came up and I can't work on Wednesday."

"It's a bit short notice, and besides didn't you request it? Severa mentioned you enjoyed it last month, so I have you on every one for the next few months."

"Ah, she said that did she? Well, I think I'm going to have to-"

"Out of the question." Kjelle cut him off curtly, turning around to continue taking fridge temperatures. Inigo sighed and slumped his shoulders dramatically. Severa whisked past him with an almost teasing spring in her step, and Inigo resisted the urge to trip her.

Wednesday came. Apparently, so had he. Inigo refused to consider the implications of whatever wet dream he might have had, and hopped into the shower, letting the water wash over him. He couldn't remember the last time he had done something like _that_ ; how embarrassing. He worked the shampoo into his hair, and as he closed his eyes, he caught the remnants of his dream. Rough hands, soft lips. His cock twinged at the thought, and he turned the water to cold.

By the time he got out, it was almost 4:00 in the afternoon. Bar life didn't exactly contribute to a healthy sleep schedule. His head still buzzed from last night - Severa had insisted they hit some 24 hour bar after work and had offered to treat him, perhaps in remorse for signing him up for every VLARP the bar hosted for the rest of his life. Either way, it wasn't his most informed decision for a Tuesday night, but that was adulthood. A pair of toaster waffles and half a carton of milk later, and Inigo was ready to go. He texted Severa quickly;

3:51 PM

You working tonight? :/

y wud i go out if i was

bio paper needs me

Severa you asshole.

gud luck babe

Inigo checked his phone several times before work, but that was all Severa was giving him. He felt a strange knot in his stomach as he pushed his way through the employee entrance door, smiling politely at Kjelle who was checking the recent shipment of lemons.

"Inigo, we got more Clamato, it's in the back," she called out after he clocked in, "You'll need i-"

"I know," he cut her off curtly, with more ice than he intended, "Sorry, I'm just a bit stressed," he immediately went to defend himself, but Kjelle just smiled back at him.

"Don't worry, it's always a bit overwhelming the first few times."

Inigo replied with a tight smile of thanks, then grabbed a carton full of Clamato, and brought it up to the bar fridge.

The doors opened at 6, and the first of the VLARP crowd filed into the bar, grabbing the quiet corner seats. Inigo nervously wiped down the table, eyes flicking upward every time a blonde man walked in. He bent down the check his phone one too many times, not sure what he was looking for. After the first hour, Inigo found himself breathing easier; maybe he wasn't coming tonight.

It was then, as if the universe was conspiring against him, that Inigo saw him making his way to the bar. Oh _god_.

It was probably because he had been on the lookout for a dramatic cape and victorian era clothing that he missed Owain. Tonight was something totally different; faded ripped jeans, a bit too tight to be appropriate, a navy tank top under a patched leather jacket, and to top it off, an earring that matched Inigo's in his left ear. Inigo felt his pulse tighten, and he suddenly found himself fascinated with the floor.

"Hey," Inigo glanced upwards and found himself face to face with the source of his turmoil all month, "What's a guy gotta do to get something to drink around here?" His voice was gruffer than it was before - lost were the languid tones of a cat playing with a mouse, and in its place was something more modern, a bit rough around the edges.

"Uh, s-sorry, what'll it be?" Inigo plastered on his bartender's smile, grabbing a glass.

"Whiskey, on the rocks," Owain smirked, sitting down at the bar. He seemed to be without his friend this time. Inigo smiled and nodded, putting down the highball glass and putting a whiskey tumbler on the bar instead. As he dropped a few ice cubes in, he glanced up at Owain again, deciding to start up conversation.

"Going for a different look this month?" He smiled, pouring some of the high shelf whiskey into the glass, "Also I'll need your ID." If he couldn't drink it, maybe Inigo could down it in the back. He might need it.

To his surprise, Owain slid over a drivers licence, smugly reaching for the glass. Inigo eyed it; twenty-one, supposedly. It looked pretty fake. He slid it back, saying nothing.

"I'm a different character this month," Owain took a sip, making a face that suggested perhaps he liked the Bloody Mary better, then continued, "I like to switch it up. Haven't heard from you, did you get my note?"

There it was - out in the open.

"Uh, yeah, I just….couldn't find the time," Inigo laughed nervously, not meeting his eyes.

"Then it isn't that you're disinterested?" Owain rested his head on his hands, narrowing his eyes in a way that shouldn't have looked as hot as it did.

"So, what's this other 'character' then?" Inigo abruptly changed subjects, pretending to busy himself with cutting lemon wedges.

"Oh, I'm a 90's era punk who was turned vampire for his abilities to fight with knives," Owain grinned, happy to share his story, "I'm working for some higher ups in the clan. Aggressive, sexy, that kind of thing."

"Do all your characters share the 'sexy' trait?" Inigo asked, immediately regretting his wording, "Uh, that is…"

"Well vampires ARE sexy," Owain retorted, taking another swig from his drink. Inigo snorted despite himself.

"So shouldn't you go be sitting by your 'master's' side then?" Inigo tried to keep his face straight, but a grin broke through anyway.

"Ah, but my lovely bartending friend," Owain leaned closer and looked up at him through lidded lashes, "I'm not here for her. I'm here for _you_."

Inigo swallowed, his face inches from the young blonde. There was that direct flirtation again - that forwardness that Inigo tried to ignore but couldn't help reacting to. He sputtered out a response

"Uh, wh-wha...w-well you, I mean," It was a spectacular failure.

"Hey, I gotta go do something real quick, but I'll be _right_ back," Owain suddenly pushed his chair back, downing the rest of the whiskey before winking and turning to a crowd that was beginning to form. Inigo felt his cheeks reddening - whatever he just tried to say, it made him sound even more pathetic than he felt. He watched Owain slip off into the group, where some sort of rock paper scissors competition appeared to be happening. He bent over the bar, inhaling deeply. This was actually going to kill him.

Glancing up, he tried to follow what sort of commotion was happening. The music muffled what appeared to be an argument, and he saw Owain standing next to one of the participants, looking wide eyed, toothy, and feral. He reached into his jacket to pull out something, but instead of a knife, he made a scissor motion with his hand. Apparently, he won, as the person across from him grabbed their arm in mock pain and fell to their knees. Another rock paper scissors game - another win, the figure doubling over with Owain standing over him. He mocked spitting on them, then walked away, standing next to the woman he was defending before, who ran a hand through his hair. Inigo felt his heart sink.

The confrontation appeared to be over, and Owain walked back to the bar, sliding into his seat confidently. Inigo ignored him.

"Sorry, had to fulfill my duty as a dog. Another Whiskey, if you would," Owain straightened his jacket, turning to Inigo whose disposition had completely changed, "Oh, what, aren't impressed by my amazing combat skills?" Inigo sniffed and poured him another drink. Smirk turning to a scowl, Owain took the glass and drank from it, "Hey, you're not jealous are you?" he raised an eyebrow and Inigo bristled.

"Jealous? You're here on a Wednesday night dressed like a wannabe punk vampire and I'm jealous of you?" Inigo thought aggressively, but exhaled and gave a more work appropriate answer; "Yes, I truly wish I could be as cool as you," he smiled, no hint of irony in his voice despite his feelings.

"Hey," Owain leaned across the bar again, causing Inigo to lean back in surprise, "Don't say anything, ok?" he blinked in response, as Owain suddenly pushed the chair back again and, striding around the bar, ducked behind it on Inigo's side. The bartender nervously watched him as he settled between his legs. Inigo mouthed him a "what are you doing?!" before tearing his eyes away to look _anywhere_ else. The group was having some kind of congregation, and those around the bar peeled away to join it, leaving him alone with the blonde below him. He braced his hands against the bar, tilting his head down to look at the blonde, who winked up at him before unzipping his pants.

This. Was. Not. Happening. But indeed it was, and Inigo stifled a gasp as he felt his pants peel away, warm hands running down his legs. He couldn't stifle the whimper though as Owain placed his lips over his obvious _interest_ in what was happening. Hot breath caused goosebumps to erupt all over Inigo, and the music's bass hummed deep within his body. The blonde's tongue ran down his length, impressively well, and Inigo silently cursed. He was going to be fired. This was the end. Someone was going to find out and he'd be out of here before he could com- _oooohhhhhohmyGOD_

Owain had slipped a finger under his boxers, and pulled them down in one swift motion, suddenly taking his cock in his mouth. Inigo braced further onto the bar, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt the hot, wet, mouth tighten around his length. His moan was lost in the sounds of the bar and Inigo suddenly found himself to be a praying man. Owain rocked back and forth, his deft tongue circling Inigo's slit, causing the man to bite his lip so tight it bled.

Every move that Owain made drove Inigo crazier, and he opened one eye to make sure no one was coming up to the bar. Apparently Owain had timed this amazingly, because everyone else was preoccupied with whatever event was going on over by the dance floor, leaving him at the mercy at the blonde. He bucked back a bit as Owain hit a sensitive spot, and, encouraged by his reaction, Owain began to suck tighter, moving back and forth at increasing speed.

"Hnnnng….O-owain….." Inigo felt himself cry out softly under his breath, and the blonde released him from his mouth to smile up at him, licking his lips.

"You haven't even told me your name yet," Owain whispered, his voice almost lost in the background noise. Inigo blushed, opening his mouth to reply but found himself cut off:

"It's Inigoooo _oooooOOOHHHH_ ," the hot, wet sensation had returned and Inigo bucked into Owain's mouth at the sudden pleasure, immediately tensing up. He felt those lips moving closer and closer, almost fully taking him in, and he felt close to the breaking point.

"O-owain, I-" Inigo began, and as if he knew exactly what he was saying, Owain increased his pace, sucking tighter, and grabbing Inigo's ass, letting himself be face fucked. Inigo groaned and, losing control, rocked hard against the blonde, biting his lip to hide his moans and groans. It felt so fast, so good, and then, suddenly, he felt the tension spread throughout his body; heat and sudden release, and he realized he had come fully into the boy's mouth. A guttural moan took the place of the apology, as he looked down at the boy who appeared to swallow the load, licking his lips and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand lazily. The boy then gave Inigo's tip a quick lick, pulling a shudder from the man, before lifting his pants back up over his hips, doing up the belt quickly, then standing up.

"So, same time next month then?" Inigo barely registered the comment, letting out a contented and just a bit confused ' _hhhhhhhhhhh?'_. Owain moved closer, taking his lips for a kiss that seemed to last forever, and definitely involved more tongue than Inigo had ever experienced in his life. And, just like that, he pulled away and dropped a $20 bill on the counter before slipping through the crowd, leaving Inigo pink-cheeked and more confused than ever.

 _Fuck._


	3. Chapter 3

The next few months were a whirlwind. Inigo started looking forward to VLARP nights with guilty anticipation, and Owain was always there with a smirk and that mouth that tied Inigo up in knots. Once he had asked Inigo which character he liked better, and upon telling him that he had a fondness for the tight jeans, he had retired the other one. Despite having his number, Inigo never texted; it was more exciting to meet once a month. Or at least that's what he told himself to excuse his awkwardness.

Severa was the first to know, and in fact the only one (besides his tumblr blog, which didn't count).

"He _what?_ " She gasped, forgetting her coffee on the way to her lips, her eyebrows rising with surprise and intrigue. Inigo shuffled awkwardly in his seat, leaning in and hushing his voice.

"You can't tell anyone, I'd get so-"

"Fired. I know. Despite everything, I don't actually hate having you around," she sipped coffee and glanced away in that way she did when she was embarrassed. Inigo breathed a sigh and thanked her so plainly that she sputtered on her coffee and blushed the same colour as her hair.

Inigo had never felt so light. It was invigorating, sexy, childish and yet so adult. He wouldn't admit to being infatuated or anything, of course not. It was all harmless fun….right?

He distracted himself with busying himself into Severa's love life. He had managed to drag a name from her after enough coffees and lemon loaves (his wallet cried). Lucina.

"Why does her facebook profile pic look like it was taken by a professional photographer?" Inigo squinted at the phone Severa was holding out to him, zooming in on the blue haired woman with a polite smile and intelligent eyes.

"I don't know! Like…who gets a professional photo for their profile picture? Is she rich? Should I not even be looking at her?" Severa grumped, pocketing her phone and crossing her arms. Inigo quickly googled her last name.

"Ylisse? Isn't that like, the name of your university?" Inigo raised an eyebrow and Severa paled.

"I'm an IDIOT!" She cried, slamming her head onto the table, and Inigo quickly grabbed their coffees before they splattered to the floor, "Her dad must be like….the Chancellor or something! I am so out of my league it's…..ARGH!" She moaned, muffled through her hair and the table she was speaking into. Chancellor didn't even seem like a high enough rank to get the university named after you, but Inigo didn't feel like lowering her mood any further.

"Look, just because her dad might be something important doesn't mean she won't even give you the time of day. You've talked before, right?" The silence that followed was more telling than anything she could have said, "Ok, so you can totally go talk to her right? Is she in your class or….?"

"She works at the Library, I think," Severa lifted her head, tucking her pigtails back into place and pouting slightly, "I always check out books I don't read so I….so I can talk to her," her voice lowered. Inigo knew it was only because they had been friends for long enough that she'd reveal anything that embarassing to him, and was flattered.

"Ok, so why don't you strike up conversation when you check out another book? Ask what her major is or something?" Inigo volunteered, stirring his straw around the empty frappuccino cup in his hands.

Severa shook her head, "I've tried, I end up just sounding like I'm, I don't know, yelling at her or something." Inigo snorted - that was Severa all right, lashing out when she was nervous.

"Ok but have you tried _not_ yelling at her?" He replied, earning a flick to the forehead, "Ow! Ok, just prepare what you're gonna say I guess?"

"Hm, not a terrible idea," Severa mumbled to herself, pulling out her phone and tapping out something, "Crap, sorry, I'm opening tonight, I'll see you tomorrow?" Inigo waved her off and pulled out his own phone. His advice was exactly what he had been trying to doing. Except instead of lashing out, he found he couldn't even get any words out as soon as Owain started working his magic. Did he want to do more than this? Date? Or did Owain think this was just a one night a month kind of thing? He groaned, and stood to throw out the remains of Severa and his planning session.

Wednesday arrived and Inigo was buzzing with anticipation, his eyes darting around for the boy every chance he had. This would be their fifth "rendezvous". But the night dragged on and as much as Inigo prayed, there seemed to be no sign of Owain. Inigo felt himself sweating nervously, wiping the bar with his built up energy. He could never follow what was happening in the VLARP plot, so he didn't even know if maybe Owain's character had been killed off? Or maybe he just got bored; bored of the LARP, bored of _Inigo_. No. He couldn't allow himself to think like that, at least not here. He felt the tears prickling, threatening to spill out, and he ducked into the walk in fridge.

"Cool down, Inigo," he spoke quietly to himself, "Maybe he's sick. Or he's late?" But the excuses to himself felt just like that - excuses. He exited the fridge before someone could see him, rubbing his arm on his sleeve.

He finished the night without seeing Owain, and held back until after he had closed the bar. There wasn't even rain to cover the wet spots running down his cheeks as he hurried home in the oppressively hot June night.

3:12 AM

I think I got broken up with.

u were dating sum1?

Severa please I can't stop crying...

sry... no show?

What do I do? I feel like throwing up.

no dont do that

strbcks tmrw? 4:30.

Okay….thanks Sev.

(Last message received at 3:15 AM)

Inigo pried his eyes open on Thursday morning. He had fallen asleep mid wank - a sad one anyway, so probably for the best. A trip to the refrigerator told him he was in dire need of groceries, but he didn't feel like he had the energy. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. He still had a couple hours until he was meeting Severa. Thankfully it was both of their days off, so he could probably cry at her for a few more hours than usual. His phone also showed a missed text from his mom.

9:25 AM

Hey Honey!~ Hope your job's been going well, you should call me more often! Your stepdad is almost done his tour so I'll be home to visit soon. Want me to get you a CD? Love you soooooooo much! Xoxo Mom.

Ugh. No...thank….you….. He tapped out a reply. He paused, and added an xoxo of his own before pushing send. Alright. Time to be an adult.

The closest grocery store was ten minutes by bus, but bartending, despite tips, didn't give him the luxery of buying things at Whole foods. So instead he took the twenty minute bus to the student's centre near Ylisse University. Everything was always extremely cheap, and Inigo could usually flash a smile and get a student discount on words alone. He wasn't sure if he could pull off the winning smile today, but perhaps buying a pint of neopolitan ice cream and looking as heartbroken as he did would convince the cashier.

The noise assaulted his ears as he entered the store, but soon lulled to a comforting white noise as he dropped his reusable bags in the child seat of the shopping cart. He immediately reached for a packet of donuts from the sale aisle (best before tomorrow? No problem.) and leaned against the cart, pushing it forward with his weight.

"Milk, chips, coffee…" Inigo mumbled, glancing down the aisles, rounding a corner and running into someone else.

"Oh my god I'm SO sorry!" Inigo blinked at the tiny blonde woman who was apologizing to him, "I wasn't looking where I was going, are you alright?"

The woman looked like she was in her late twenties, with golden blonde hair pulled up in cutesy pigtails, and a bright yellow sundress that ended at her knees. Inigo couldn't help but blush at the startlingly beautiful woman. Perhaps, it was a sign that he should move on, forget Owain, get back into the scene.

"Oh no, my mistake entirely. Truly, my apologies. May I assist you while you shop as an apology?" He felt his usual confidence returning to him and the woman giggled - _oh god she's so cute-_ as he took her hand in his typical chivalrous way..

"You really don't have to, besides I already-" she paused at a voice coming from the aisle she just exited from.

"Look I found them and they're on sale, can you buy them?" Inigo froze as a familiar blonde man turned the corner, holding a box of double stuff oreos in both hands. Inigo was caught off guard by how…. _normal_ Owain looked. His hair was free from the usual gel, and stuck up all over the place, and his tight jeans were replaced by khaki shorts. HIs shirt was baggy, obviously a few sizes too big for him, and had some cute japanese character with blue hair giving a peace sign. The contacts were gone too, but his green eyes looked much cuter than the garish red ones anyway.

He caught Inigo's eye and then paused as he saw him holding the woman's hand. His mouth opened slightly, and Inigo saw him blush for the first time ever. Inigo's smile slid off his face, however, as he realized why he thought the woman looked so cute.

"M-mother, wha...what are you doing?"


End file.
